It’s easy for the every day person to work within a single sign on environment – such as Active Directory (Microsoft) or Open Directory (Mac and UNIX). But what about the mobile worker?
For people at the corporate executive level or who work in hot seat environments, remembering a password that changes on a 30, 60 or 90 day rotation cycle can be difficult and time consuming. (Assuming of course that your network admin employs rotational password security.)
Enter the Smart Card.
Smart cards enable you to carry your digital certificates with you. Mac OS X allows you to use your smart card whenever an authentication dialogue is presented.
This robust, two-factor authentication mechanism complies with Department of Defence Common Access Card, U.S. PIV, Belgium National Identification Card, Japanese government PKI, and Java Card 2.1 standards.
Similar to an ATM card and a PIN code, two-factor authentication relies on something you have and something you know. If your smart card is lost or stolen, it cannot be used unless your PIN is also known.
Mac OS X has additional functionality for smart card use such as:
- Lock system on smart card removal. You can configure your Mac to automatically lock the system whenever you remove your smart card.
- Unlock keychain. When you insert a smart card, the keychain can be unlocked, and your stored information and credentials can be used.
- Unlock FileVault. A smart card can be used to unlock your FileVault encrypted home directory. You can enable this function by using a private key on a smart card.
Whilst Smart Cards are not new, employing them within Mac related corporate environments is not common – yet.
Apple Seminars – Smart Cards
For those of you looking for more information, Apple has scheduled a series of online seminars worth a look.
The one for smart cards can be found here.
Warm Regards,
Scott Malpass
Director
Aquafruit Media.
Mac OS X – inherently secure? – part 11 – Moving Beyond Passwords.
It’s easy for the every day person to work within a single sign on environment – such as Active Directory (Microsoft) or Open Directory (Mac and UNIX). But what about the mobile worker?
For people at the corporate executive level or who work in hot seat environments, remembering a password that changes on a 30, 60 or 90 day rotation cycle can be difficult and time consuming. (Assuming of course that your network admin employs rotational password security.)
Enter the Smart Card.
Smart cards enable you to carry your digital certificates with you. Mac OS X allows you to use your smart card whenever an authentication dialogue is presented.
This robust, two-factor authentication mechanism complies with Department of Defence Common Access Card, U.S. PIV, Belgium National Identification Card, Japanese government PKI, and Java Card 2.1 standards.
Similar to an ATM card and a PIN code, two-factor authentication relies on something you have and something you know. If your smart card is lost or stolen, it cannot be used unless your PIN is also known.
Mac OS X has additional functionality for smart card use such as:
Whilst Smart Cards are not new, employing them within Mac related corporate environments is not common – yet.
Apple Seminars – Smart Cards
For those of you looking for more information, Apple has scheduled a series of online seminars worth a look.
The one for smart cards can be found here.
Warm Regards,
Scott Malpass
Director
Aquafruit Media.